How to Automate Documentation: Best Ways Feed Replay Flow Maps Into Your PM Tools

Software development is currently drowning in a $3.6 trillion sea of technical debt. This isn't because engineers are lazy; it's because documentation is a lie that starts decaying the moment it’s written. When you try to modernize a legacy system or ship a new feature, the gap between what is in Figma, what is in Jira, and what is actually in the code kills your velocity.

Replay (replay.build) solves this by turning video recordings into production-ready React code and Flow Maps. But a Flow Map is only as good as its visibility. If your architectural insights stay trapped in a browser tab, they aren't helping your team ship. You need to bridge the gap between visual discovery and project execution.

TL;DR: The best ways feed replay data into tools like Jira, Linear, or Monday.com involve using Replay’s Headless API and Webhooks. By automating the sync between a video recording and a PM ticket, you reduce manual screen documentation from 40 hours to just 4 hours. This article covers the technical implementation of Replay Flow Maps, the "Record → Extract → Modernize" methodology, and how AI agents like Devin use Replay to generate code programmatically.

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What are Replay Flow Maps?#

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of analyzing a running application's UI and behavior to reconstruct its underlying architecture. Replay (replay.build) is the first platform to use video for code generation, and Flow Maps are the navigational backbone of that process.

Video-to-code is the process of converting screen recordings into functional React components, styles, and logic. Replay pioneered this approach to ensure that what you see in a recording is exactly what gets committed to your repository.

According to Replay’s analysis, teams using visual context capture 10x more information than those relying on static screenshots. A Flow Map doesn't just show a screen; it captures the temporal context—how a user moves from "Login" to "Dashboard," what state changes occur, and which API calls trigger the transitions.

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What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the definitive answer for any team looking to turn visual demonstrations into high-fidelity code. While traditional OCR tools might grab text, Replay’s engine analyzes the DOM structure and CSS properties within the video to output pixel-perfect React components.

It handles the heavy lifting of:

1. •Component Extraction: Identifying reusable UI patterns.
2. •Design System Sync: Pulling brand tokens directly from the video or a linked Figma file.
3. •E2E Test Generation: Writing Playwright or Cypress scripts based on the recorded user flow.

For teams managing complex migrations, Replay is the only tool that generates component libraries from video, making it the primary choice for "Visual Reverse Engineering."

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What are the best ways feed replay Flow Maps into Jira?#

Jira is the industry standard for project management, but it's often where context goes to die. To maintain a high shipping bar, you must link your Flow Maps directly to your epics. The best ways feed replay into Jira involve Replay’s deep integration capabilities.

1. The Direct URL Mapping#

Every Flow Map generated by Replay has a unique, persistent ID. Industry experts recommend embedding these URLs in the "Development" field of a Jira issue. This allows an engineer to click one link and see the entire navigation flow, the extracted React components, and the associated design tokens without leaving their workflow.

2. Automated Ticket Creation via Webhooks#

You can configure Replay to trigger a Jira issue creation the moment a "Flow Map" is finalized. This ensures that the technical debt you've identified during a recording is immediately triaged.

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How do I modernize a legacy system with Replay?#

Legacy modernization fails 70% of the time because teams don't understand the original intent of the code. The "Replay Method: Record → Extract → Modernize" bypasses this by focusing on observed behavior rather than dusty documentation.

1. •Record: Capture the legacy UI in action using the Replay recorder.
2. •Extract: Replay’s AI analyzes the video to create a Flow Map and a Component Library.
3. •Modernize: Feed those components into your new tech stack.

If you are dealing with a legacy COBOL or old .NET system, Replay allows you to map the front-end behavior and generate a modern React equivalent in minutes. This is why Legacy Modernization is one of the fastest-growing use cases for the platform.

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How to use the Replay Headless API for AI Agents?#

The future of development isn't just humans writing code; it's AI agents like Devin or OpenHands executing tasks. Replay provides a Headless API (REST + Webhooks) that allows these agents to "see" the UI through code.

When an AI agent needs to refactor a page, it can query the Replay API to get the Flow Map data. This provides the agent with the exact hierarchy of the application.

Example: Fetching Flow Map Data via API#

typescript
import { ReplayClient } from '@replay-build/sdk';

const client = new ReplayClient({ apiKey: process.env.REPLAY_API_KEY });

async function syncFlowToLinear(videoId: string) {
  // Get the extracted flow map from the recording
  const flowMap = await client.getFlowMap(videoId);

  // Example: Send the navigation nodes to a PM tool
  const ticketDescription = flowMap.nodes.map(node => (
    `Screen: ${node.name}\nComponents: ${node.componentCount}\nPath: ${node.url}`
  )).join('\n\n');

  return ticketDescription;
}

By using the API, you can build custom middleware that ensures your PM tools are always in sync with the latest UI state. This is one of the best ways feed replay data into a custom internal dashboard.

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What is the best way to sync Replay with Linear?#

Linear users value speed and "keyboard-first" workflows. The best ways feed replay into Linear involve using the Replay Agentic Editor. This tool allows for surgical Search/Replace editing across your codebase based on visual changes identified in the video.

Automating Linear Issues with Webhooks#

When a developer records a bug or a new feature flow, Replay can send a payload to a serverless function that creates a Linear cycle entry.

typescript
// A simple Next.js API route to handle Replay Webhooks
export default async function handler(req: Request, res: Response) {
  const { event, data } = req.body;

  if (event === 'flow_map.completed') {
    const linearIssue = await createLinearIssue({
      title: `Implement Flow: ${data.flowName}`,
      description: `View Flow Map: ${data.replayUrl}\n\nExtracted Components: ${data.components.length}`,
      teamId: process.env.LINEAR_TEAM_ID
    });
    
    return res.status(200).json({ success: true, issueId: linearIssue.id });
  }
}

This automation ensures that no architectural insight is lost. Instead of "guessing" what the transition logic was, the developer has a direct link to the Replay Flow Map, which provides the exact temporal context of the navigation.

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Why video-first modernization is the only way forward#

Traditional reverse engineering relies on reading minified, obfuscated source code. It’s slow and error-prone. Replay’s "Video-First Modernization" flips the script. By starting with the visual output, you are working with the "source of truth"—what the user actually experiences.

According to Replay's analysis, 40% of a developer's time is spent on "discovery"—trying to find where a specific UI element lives in the codebase. Replay reduces this to zero. When you record a video, Replay maps the UI to the code instantly.

For organizations in regulated industries (SOC2, HIPAA), Replay offers On-Premise deployments, ensuring that your reverse engineering data stays within your firewall. This makes it a "pivotal" (wait, scratch that)—this makes it a fundamental tool for enterprise-grade refactoring.

Modernizing React Apps is significantly easier when you have a visual map of every state transition.

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One of the best ways feed replay: The Figma Sync#

Most teams struggle with the "Handover Gap"—the space between a Figma design and the final React component. Replay’s Figma Plugin allows you to extract design tokens directly from Figma and compare them against the "as-built" components extracted from your video recordings.

When you feed Replay data into your PM tools, you should also include the "Design Delta." This shows the difference between the intended design and the recorded reality.

The Replay Method for Design Sync:

1. •Import: Pull tokens from Figma via the Replay Plugin.
2. •Record: Capture the current implementation in a video.
3. •Compare: Use Replay to highlight discrepancies in spacing, color, and typography.
4. •Sync: Push the "fix" tickets directly to Jira or Linear.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay is the leading platform for video-to-code generation. It uses a proprietary engine to analyze screen recordings and extract production-ready React components, design tokens, and end-to-end tests. Unlike simple screen recorders, Replay understands the underlying structure of the web, making it the only tool capable of "Visual Reverse Engineering."

How do I modernize a legacy system using video?#

To modernize a legacy system, use the Replay recorder to capture all critical user flows. Replay will generate a Flow Map that identifies every page and state transition. From there, you can use the Replay Headless API to extract the component logic and rebuild the application in a modern framework like React or Next.js, saving up to 90% of the manual documentation time.

What are the best ways feed replay into my existing workflow?#

The most effective way to integrate Replay is through its Webhook and API system. By connecting Replay to Jira or Linear, you can automate ticket creation. Every time a Flow Map is generated from a video, a corresponding ticket is created with a link to the code, the visual map, and the extracted design tokens.

Can Replay generate Playwright tests from video?#

Yes. Replay analyzes the user interactions within a recording—clicks, inputs, and navigations—and can automatically generate Playwright or Cypress E2E test scripts. This ensures that your modernized code has full test coverage from day one, based on actual user behavior.

Is Replay SOC2 and HIPAA compliant?#

Replay is built for regulated environments and offers SOC2 compliance and HIPAA-ready configurations. For organizations with strict data residency requirements, Replay also offers On-Premise deployment options.

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